Concept for the Water Avenue Yards by Boora
Boora Architects have developed a speculative concept for the ODOT Blocks, which they have dubbed the Water Avenue Yards. Their vision would see the currently vacant site redeveloped with flexible spaces that could be used various kinds of production.
Demolition began on a fourplex house at 3423 SE Hawthorne Blvd, which will be replaced by a five story 30 unit apartment building. As a squatter tied himself to the roof to protest the demolition, a crowd of fifty people and one goat gathered to watch.
Pretentious PDX interviewed Jonathan Cohen and Matt Seigel of the Society Hotel, the Old Town hotel which is getting ready to open on November 5th.
Eater PDX covered the possible closure of the Lotus Cardroom, which would be replaced by a new hotel and office building at 930 SW 3rd Ave.
Innovative Housing has been chosen as the developer for an affordable housing project on Pearl Block 26, according to The Oregonian. The quarter block building will include at least 40 units, and could include as many as 64.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the PSU School of Business Administration by Behnisch Architekten and SRG Partnership. The 143,000 sq ft facility is expected to open in 2017.
Amid an apartment building boom, The Oregonian reported that the City’s property tax exemption program for affordable housing had done zero deals in 2015.
Boora’s Water Avenue Yards is a compelling plan. One small problem with the site is ODOT has a sizeable easement east of the I-5 structure that doesn’t allow permanent structures. It cuts the vacant land on the site down by about one third and creates an awkward open space between potential development and the river.